C&G Indicates lack of qualifications for Electricians and EV charger installs

tattyinengland 

That read's as an in-house NICEIC training course and certification, which matches the new version of the C&G, as in it’s theory only and  you there’s no practical assessments of installation or testing abilities,  so it can be done in a day.

Half the price or more all round, as it’s one day instead of two, so only half the training course fee, half or more of the traveling costs, no need for overnight accommodation as the courses are being run locally around the country and in particular no C&G fees.

Plus the pre-qualification requirements is CPS membership rather than a NVQ, it looks to me like the NICEIC will now sign up all the electricians who are already registered with a CPS for this course, particularly the over forties who don’t have a NVQ.

It begs the question, have C&G shot themselves in the foot?

Time will tell.

The “thousands” for getting set up came from (ball park figures):

• IET COP £80
• C&G course £420
• Two days off work £500
• Travelling £100
• Megger testing adapter £380
• A couple of days off work attending manufacturers training £500
• More traveling £100
• It soon starts to add up, bearing in mind I already have all the other kit and caboodle.

As a subbie if I drive to Burton or Hull to do a job that’s what I would get paid plus mileage, so I’m not being daft about it.

To be honest having done some manufacturers online training I am actually quite prepared to lose a couple of days pay and pay for the traveling to go to do some real face to face training with the opportunity to see, touch and feel the products they have available and learn about them.

In amongst all this I updated my chainsaw training certificate back in January, as well as doing brushcutter, hedge cutter, polesaw and First Aid at Work + Forestry training over the Autumn and Winter, So I can actually hold a conversation on the subject of LANTRA versus C&G training certificates, C&G are seen as being more prestigious, but the training course is the same and I was training next to people doing C&G whilst doing the LANTRA.

tattyinengland 

That read's as an in-house NICEIC training course and certification, which matches the new version of the C&G, as in it’s theory only and  you there’s no practical assessments of installation or testing abilities,  so it can be done in a day.

Half the price or more all round, as it’s one day instead of two, so only half the training course fee, half or more of the traveling costs, no need for overnight accommodation as the courses are being run locally around the country and in particular no C&G fees.

Plus the pre-qualification requirements is CPS membership rather than a NVQ, it looks to me like the NICEIC will now sign up all the electricians who are already registered with a CPS for this course, particularly the over forties who don’t have a NVQ.

It begs the question, have C&G shot themselves in the foot?

Time will tell.

The “thousands” for getting set up came from (ball park figures):

• IET COP £80
• C&G course £420
• Two days off work £500
• Travelling £100
• Megger testing adapter £380
• A couple of days off work attending manufacturers training £500
• More traveling £100
• It soon starts to add up, bearing in mind I already have all the other kit and caboodle.

As a subbie if I drive to Burton or Hull to do a job that’s what I would get paid plus mileage, so I’m not being daft about it.

To be honest having done some manufacturers online training I am actually quite prepared to lose a couple of days pay and pay for the traveling to go to do some real face to face training with the opportunity to see, touch and feel the products they have available and learn about them.

In amongst all this I updated my chainsaw training certificate back in January, as well as doing brushcutter, hedge cutter, polesaw and First Aid at Work + Forestry training over the Autumn and Winter, So I can actually hold a conversation on the subject of LANTRA versus C&G training certificates, C&G are seen as being more prestigious, but the training course is the same and I was training next to people doing C&G whilst doing the LANTRA.

The thing is; how hard can it be? I gather that these days, modern EV chargers no longer require the installation of earth rods or those funny MATTE thingys, so just a straight forward radial circuit with a Type A RCD/RCBO at one end and a EV box at the other.

Here's is my humble understanding of a typical EV install -

A typical EV install comprises of a swap-out of, or provision if none exists, of a Type A RCD in the board, then a run of (usually) 6.00mm cable in whichever flavor - SWA or T&E which eventually terminates into a wall-mounted, readymade, IP rated box with a socket or lead on it. All the EV gubbins are prefitted and prewired inside the box - so why the necessity for a specialist course?

I ask again, how hard can it be?

An upfront RCD is not generally required unless it's a TT earthed installation and/or the circuit cable is concealed within a wall. 

So on the face of it it is simpler than that, as I commented above for some jobs less than thirty quid worth of additional materials. 

But perhaps surprisingly some installers have not got a Scooby Doo as to what is required for any electrical installation work, not just EVSE. 

You also have to remember that the EVSE installation and the vehicle's themselves have only really started to become mainstream in the last few years,  probably about eight years and in that time the technology and regulations have moved on considerably, so what is being done now is different to only a couple of years ago in many circumstances. 

I am supposed to be doing an EICR in the next few days and the house has an EV charger installed just over five years ago, I really won't be surprised if if fail an inspection just on RCD selection.